Comments on: Does mainstream media have mommy issues?

By: Tish Grier

Tish Grier — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:51:54 +0000

hmmm…this is a topic near and dear to my heart–esp. after the last BlogHer I attended in ’07 was overloaded with mommybloggers looking for ways to make money from their blogs…

and I’m also taken by the number of commenters here whose blog names or pseudonyms contain the word “Mom”…

I completely agree that the the constant focus on women as moms is indeed a form of sexism. But it’s also a form that women are complicit in perpetuating. Yes, I understand that you are proud to be moms, and want to share tips about mommying, but why is there such a need to form small cliques and talk only about mommying? why do you feel that someone like me–who has chosen not to have children and is far happpier being single and straight than she ever was married–is less of a woman? IMO, mainstream media is responding to what it is seeing in the blogosphere. It is giving us all the momminess we are willing to accept because women bloggers have made momminess a top priority. Mommies have been quite vocal about their purchasing power and msm has heard that message loud and clear and is just giving the world what it wants…

I think the most insulting to me was a small conference I attended in NYC, where four mommybloggers were on the stage talking about how social networking had changed their lives. The panel leader went to great lengths to explain the whole mommyblogger phenomen (as if we didn’t know already) and then the group went on to talk about the money they were making and how moms made great spokeswomen for products.

So, don’t put the blame for the way msm views women bloggers when it’s something that many vocal mommybloggers have been very happy to help msm and marketing to see.

By: Women are more than mommies: More Women | Marketing Roadmaps

Women are more than mommies: More Women | Marketing Roadmaps — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:29:24 +0000

[...] sure it will be a surprise to the mainstream media, but women are more than [...]

By: Amie aka MammaLoves

Amie aka MammaLoves — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:04:35 +0000

I’m getting to this post a little late, but I’ve had it open to really think about.

Not only does the media have “mommy” issues, they also think we all only have small children and think about nothing other than what boxed food we are going to serve them or what type of diaper we’re going to use.

Makes me crazy!!!

Terrific post Susan!

By: Feminist Friday:Five Must Reads | women minds

Feminist Friday:Five Must Reads | women minds — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:54:41 +0000

[...] if you haven’t read it, you MUST. Here’s a follow-up article that’s equally good: Does mainstream media have mommy issues? Thanks to PunditMom for tweeting about this! [...]

By: Jenna/The Word Cellar

Jenna/The Word Cellar — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:56:39 +0000

I think the media’s inaccurate portrayal of all women bloggers as mom bloggers is indicative of a larger societal issue: We don’t know what to do with women who aren’t mothers. With our incessant need to label people, “Mom” becomes the predominately accepted female label, which ends up stripping women of any other sense of self or identity. Somehow the childless and childfree woman is still seen as “abnormal” and is thus discounted. In many ways, a woman without children becomes invisible online and off. This places a woman’s worth solely in her parental role, which is an insult not just to women without children but to mothers, as well.